1. Field of the Invention
The inventions disclosed and taught herein relate generally to vacuum appliances, and more specifically are related to backpack vacuum cleaners and portable vacuum cleaners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various configurations of vacuum cleaners are well known. Examples of specific applications for which vacuum cleaners are configured include, but are not limited to, general home cleaning, cleaning industrial/work sites and cleaning automobile interiors. The general premise of operation of a vacuum cleaner is that a vacuum created by the vacuum cleaner serves to lift debris, water, and the like into a collection container of the vacuum cleaner typically through a flexible hose.
Portability and versatility are two valuable and useful attributes of a vacuum cleaner. Portability enables a vacuum cleaner to be used at different physical locations (e.g., different rooms in a building, different buildings, etc). Versatility enables a vacuum to be operated in a manner that is entirely or somewhat specific to a given application. For example, a vacuum cleaner that includes different cleaning attachments can be used in any number of different cleaning applications (e.g., cleaning water from floors, cleaning dust and debris off floors, cleaning dust and debris from wall and ceiling mounted fixtures, etc). Together, portability and versatility add value to a vacuum cleaner in that it can be used for a wide array of applications at any number of different locations.
Therefore, a vacuum cleaner that provides for portability and versatility is desirable in many applications. For example, at a construction/work site, a considerable amount of debris is typically generated. Examples of such debris include pieces of paper and plastic, various forms of dust, wasted supplies and the like. Accordingly, it is desirable that a vacuum used in a construction/work site be configured for efficiently picking up such debris (i.e., a high suction capability and easy is emptying of debris) and for being conveniently carried such that it is not on the floor being pulled through such debris. Such a vacuum ideally sits appropriately on the user so as to not cause physical pain after extended use, and has a reduced noise output as perceived by the user. Furthermore, because electrical outlets at construction/work sites are often sparse or entirely not available, a vacuum with an on-board power supply (e.g., a rechargeable battery-pack) is sometimes desirable as it enhances portability.
The inventions disclosed and taught herein are directed to improved backpack vacuum cleaners.